Ginger growers in Samdrup Jongkhar are enjoying their strongest returns in several years as market prices rise sharply this season.
Farmers are currently selling ginger for between Nu 50 and Nu 90 per kilogram, depending on its quality. The increase has brought welcome relief after almost four years of weak prices, during which the crop rarely fetched more than Nu 35 per kilogram.
For many households, the improved rate has translated into meaningful income at a time when agricultural production costs and family expenses remain high.
Pema Yangdon, a ginger farmer in the district, said she earned Nu 32,000 from her first harvest and an additional Nu 18,000 from the latest sale.
“The income has helped me cover my children’s education expenses,” she said.
Another grower, Kinzang Dorji, said the higher prices have restored optimism among farmers and could encourage more people to expand ginger cultivation.
“In earlier years, ginger prices were not favourable. This year, the increase has made villagers happy. Better returns motivate us to grow more ginger in the future,” he said.
After harvesting, farmers transport their produce to Samdrup Jongkhar town, where local traders purchase it for export to India.
Traders attribute the current price rise to a temporary shortage in the Indian market. Ginger production has reportedly declined in some states, while harvesting has not yet begun in other major growing areas.
Local trader Sangay Tenzin said supplies remain limited because harvesting in areas such as Shillong has yet to start.
“The supply of ginger in India is low at present, which has pushed prices up. Once production increases and more ginger reaches the market, prices here are likely to decline,” he said.
Ginger is generally planted in March in Samdrup Jongkhar and harvested in two stages. The first harvest takes place between July and August, when farmers remove and sell the mother rhizome originally used as seed. This provides them with an early source of income.
The remaining plants are allowed to mature before the final harvest in early winter.
Samdrup Jongkhar produces about 650 metric tonnes of ginger each year and is the second-largest ginger-producing district in the country. The current price increase is expected to strengthen farmer confidence in one of the district’s most important cash crops.
